The Scandia City Council voted last week to restrict parking to one side of the access road leading down to the popular Log House Landing on the St. Croix River, just north of William O’ Brien State Park. The Forest Lake Times reported:

No Parking signs will be posted on the south side of 205th Street to relieve congestion at Scandia’s boat launch on the St. Croix River, the Scandia City Council decided last week. The parking ban on the narrow gravel road will extend to the railroad tracks, about 1,000 feet from the river.

Located north of William O’Brien State Park, the Log House Landing gives boaters a free spot to put in. (A daily or annual permit is required to enter the state park.) The next launch to the north is the Osceola Landing, located on the Minnesota side of the river.

The site is unpaved, and the city recently filled eroded spots in the gravel. An existing No Parking sign on the north side is sometimes ignored, as in September, when a citation issued by local law enforcement was for parking in front of the sign.

A stone fireplace remains where a home once stood. Signs giving fishing and boating regulations, and a large blue garbage container, are the only other amenities.

The Landing is especially busy on summer weekends. Washington County Sheriff’s Deputy Chris Majeski said boaters leave vehicles parked all weekend so they can camp on the river. Limiting parking to one side of the road will improve access for emergency vehicles. The south side was chosen to help protect Gilbertson’s Creek, a designated trout stream, from erosion.

The council considered proposals to institute a ban on overnight parking, as well as restricting the landing to only Scandia residents. Neither idea moved forward. Read the whole story here.